Many kids who grew up on reality TV went on to make their showbiz dreams come true. But after
spending years in front of the cameras, still others chose to fly under the radar. From 'Real
Housewives' to 'Laguna Beach,' these former reality kids are keeping it really real now.
Vicki Gunvalson's daughter,
Briana, appeared on 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' for years. But the nurse and her hubby,
Ryan Culberson, bid the series farewell when they moved to North Carolina, in 2017. When it came to
Briana's desire to completely walk away from the show, Vicki told 'Entertainment Tonight,'
"It broke my heart. […] She wanted to just have a break
and be kind of incognito, keep the kids off camera."
"I farted."
"Ugh! This is my life it’s just farts and superheroes."
But just a few years after Briana called it quits, her mom followed suit. In January 2020,
Gunvalson announced on Instagram that she was leaving the show after 14 seasons.
Briana's brother, Michael, was also a fixture on the series when their mom was still whooping
it up for the Bravo cameras. And when it came time to figure out his career,
he joined the family business and became the VP at Gunvalson's company, Coto Insurance. However, like
his sister, he eventually left the O.C. In 2021, he revealed on Instagram that he moved to Hawaii.
Shereé Whitfield's youngest was just
a little kid when her mom debuted on Season 1 of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.' But these days,
she's a proud university grad. As the 'Housewives' alum shared on Instagram,
daughter Kaleigh graduated summa cum laude from Howard University in 2021.
"It's good. It's…school."
When Kaleigh first was accepted to the program, Shereé posted on social media:
"As a single mom it's such an awesome and rewarding experience to watch my
kids excel and reach for their dreams!"
Meanwhile, Kaleigh's two older siblings have thrown their hats into the entertainment ring.
Her brother, Kairo, graduated from Morehouse College in 2020, where he was a forward on the
basketball team. And around that same time, he announced on Instagram that he would be dropping
an EP titled 'Draft Day' shortly thereafter. Oldest daughter Tierra was away at college back
when the show first started, and she went on to launch a podcast called 'A Little Kiss and Tell.'
Lauren Manzo Scalia was 21 when the first season
of 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' aired. But even though she wasn't technically a child,
that doesn't mean she and her brothers weren't impacted by the reality TV life.
Her brothers Albie and Chris have basically remained in the entertainment biz on some level
since the show, as well as starring on 'Manzo'd with Children.' But Lauren is leading a much
more regular life as a small business owner of the Full-blown Blow-Out & Beauty Lounge.
"Your job is a lot less demanding than mine."
"Okaaaay."
But for as "normal" as her life may be now, there is that whole thing where she was on reality TV
for a good amount of time. And unfortunately, she and her family are consistently targeted by
trolls. In April 2020, Lauren announced on Instagram Stories that she would no longer
be sharing photos of her daughter Markie because of outrageously negative comments. But, even so,
Lauren eventually got back to posting snaps of her daughter on social media.
Unlike many of her former co-stars,
'Laguna Beach' cast member Jessica Smith Evans didn't chase a career in entertainment or fashion
after high school. Instead, she stepped away from the public eye and eventually
grew apart from the rest of the cast. On the 'Reality Life with Kate Casey' podcast in 2017,
Smith Evans claimed she never wanted to be on 'Laguna Beach' at all. And she had only signed the
release forms because she wanted to be able to go to friends' events even if the cameras were there.
"What is so funny?"
"Nothing."
"Cuz I don't find this very funny."
After her time on the series, Smith Evans was officially donezo with reality TV.
In 2018, the person who was once part of an iconic love triangle with Jason
Wahler and Lauren Conrad wrote on her blog that as soon as the show wrapped,
"[I] ended up waitressing while putting myself through school to become a teacher."
She revealed that she met her husband at the restaurant where she worked,
and the happily married couple now live in Texas where they're busy raising their four children.
On the first season of 'The Real Housewives of Potomac,' Karen Huger's daughter, Rayvin,
graduated from high school. And by 2019, Rayvin had graduated from Penn State. She then went
on to pursue her master's degree at Fordham Gabelli School of Business in New York City.
"You not helpin'!"
"I'm just working."
"You're just working. OK."
Karen told ‘Bravo’ in 2017 that sending her daughter away to college was a big,
emotional step. But she added,
"Gradually I began to view Rayvin's college experience as an opportunity
for our Mother/Daughter relationship to go to the next level. We are closer than
ever and share a relationship that has deepened and is unbreakable."
Following his stint on 'NYC Prep,'
Sebastian Oppenheim spent some time dabbling in the TV industry. As 'The Daily Dish' noted,
in 2015, he worked as a production assistant on 'Watch What Happens Live' after he graduated from
high school. And by all accounts, he seemed serious about making a living in television.
"It was-it was really a lot of fun and, and uh, really
shows how much hard work goes into all of these shows, y'know?"
But Oppenheim also shared with 'The Daily Dish' that he was hoping to get his real
estate license. And it seems safe to say that the move panned out for him.
According to LinkedIn, he began working as an agent at CORE Real Estate in 2015.
And in March 2021, he became VP of Business Development for June Homes.
While Oppenheim has fully walked away from reality TV, himself, he isn't exactly gone
from the scene. Oppenheim married Food Network personality, Skyler Bouchard,
in 2019. And she is clearly thriving in the industry. But for a guy who used to be on
a reality show, Oppenheim's professional life has definitely become more low-key.
Dr. Heavenly Kimes' sons sure seem interested in slapping on the white coat. The 'Married
to Medicine' star told 'The Daily Dish' in 2018 that she hopes her oldest, Damon Jr.,
will eventually take over the family practice. In June 2020, Dr. Heavenly
shared on Instagram that Damon Jr. had graduated from Georgia State with a degree in psychology.
Damon Jr.'s younger brother followed a similar
path. Dr. Heavenly said of her second-oldest, Zachary:
"[He] wants no part of this show. […] He'll probably become a neurosurgeon or something."
After Zachary graduated from high school in 2019, Dr. Heavenly shared on Instagram that he
was enrolling in med school, and also getting his real estate license. The next year, she shared,
"Not only is he a Pre-Med major honor student […] He is a realtor!
Ready to work hard for all your real estate needs!"
But it sounds like Dr. Heavenly's daughter, Alaura, is getting into show biz rather than
the family biz. She has already released a song and landed a small role in 2019's 'Little.' And
by 2021, Alaura announced she was launching her very own optical accessory line called AK Eyewear.
Ally Shapiro has been keeping busy ever since her mom, Jill Zarin,
made her debut as a main cast member on 'The Real Housewives of New York City.' In 2014,
she graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. And in 2019, Zarin
shared on Instagram that Shapiro went on to earn a master's degree from Sotheby's Institute of Art.
But while they might not appear on TV together anymore, that doesn't mean
Zarin and Shapiro don't work together. During the pandemic, the two joined forces to launch
a face mask line called Jill & Ally, which eventually expanded into a full-on brand.
But we would be remiss if we didn't mention that time Shapiro appeared
on 'The Millionaire Matchmaker' after she finished her undergrad degree. In Season 8,
Zarin enlisted the help of Patti Stanger to find someone special for her daughter.
Charrisse Jackson-Jordan's kids have both pursued fulfilling lives off-camera. The
former 'Real Housewives of Potomac' star's daughter, Skylar, enrolled at Spelman College
in 2018 to study biology. And according to Instagram, she has even showcased
her work at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Anaheim.
Charrisse's son, Jackson, headed to Southern New Hampshire University to play basketball.
But while her kids may be far away from home, they remain very close to their mom's heart.
Charisse shared on Instagram in 2019,
"My kids are away at college and I've become so dependent on having them with me.
This 'empty nest' thing hasn't been that great. […] Take advantage of every moment
of time with your children. You can't get it back. Time flies by too fast."
The Giudice family has certainly weathered their share of drama over the last several years:
Teresa and Joe Giudice went to prison, Joe's deportation appeal has been denied multiple times,
and Teresa's parents both passed away within three years of each other.
And to top it all off, Teresa and Joe ultimately separated.
But there have also been reasons for the family to celebrate.
As Teresa announced on Instagram Stories in 2018,
her oldest daughter Gia was accepted to multiple colleges. Gia told Andy Cohen in 2021,
"I am a sophomore at Rutgers University.
I'm still pursuing my dream of becoming a lawyer, so that's really exciting for me."
"I just wanna help families and be able to be there for families, and
help children, honestly, especially."
Evidently, her parents' own legal battles played a big role in her choice of career
path. Teresa shared with 'The Daily Dish' in 2018,
"I'm happy that she wants to [study law]. Sometimes, things happen for a reason.
Because of everything that Joe and I have been through, I think that's the reason why
she picked law, and I can't wait to see what Gia becomes when she gets older."
Kyle Richards' second oldest daughter, Alexia,
grew up on 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' in a family full of actors and models.
But she wasn't interested in pursuing fame. Instead, she took a position at
her dad's real estate company shortly after graduating from Emerson College in 2018.
"I'm gonna cry right now. I'm gonna cry."
Alexia works alongside her dad and her older sister, Farrah. Farrah was in her
early 20s when the reality show debuted, and viewers saw her graduate from USC in 2010
with a degree in psychology and a minor in business. She told 'The Daily Dish' in 2016,
"[I'm] more [of] a behind-the-scenes person and with real estate you can
have a great life and have a fun, fun job and make a lot of money."
As for Kyle's other two daughters, Sophia enrolled at George Washington University
in 2018 with plans to get into real estate. And the youngest family member,
Portia — who turned 13 in 2021 — already has career aspirations. Kyle said on the
show that Portia wants to become a makeup artist, or maybe even a YouTube influencer.
"Some people live at home until they're married, just so you know. That is an option."
"Lovely."
Ramona Singer's daughter, Avery, was in junior high when the first season
of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' premiered. And these days, she's all grown
up and getting to work. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2017,
she worked in finance for several years before joining the sales team at Cameo in 2021.
Ahead of Avery's college graduation, Ramona talked about her daughter's
next chapter. She told 'The Daily Dish,' "You know, it's very interesting to see how Avery
has evolved from the show. When she first started filming 10 years ago, she was 12 years old."
"She started the show at 11, 12, this little flat-chested,
skinny thing, and now she's like taller than me."
Though Avery is doing her own thing, separate from the show,
she occasionally mixes it up with her mom's co-stars. In 2020, Avery posted and commented
on a few clips of drunken shenanigans featured on a Season 12 episode called "Hurricane Leah."
And as 'People' noted, McSweeney didn't take too kindly to the remarks. What's that old saying? Oh,
right: You can take the reality show kid out of the 'Real Housewives' universe, but you can't
take the 'Real Housewives' instinct for drama out of the reality show kid…or something like that.
Looks like we'll just have to keep clicking around
social media to see what these former reality star kids do next!
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